Typical of automated machinery by which a beverage, such as soda pop and beer, is dispensed into open top, later capped cans are the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,387,748 and 4,750,533.
Such automated machinery comprises fill valves by which pressurized gas and beverage are delivered into each can through the open top thereof. Such fill valves comprise standard distal beverage effluent nozzle structure comprising an array of downwardly and outwardly directed beverage discharge passages. This standard effluent nozzle structure is diametrally sized to fit through the opening in the top of a can of predetermined size on a close tolerance basis so that the circular discharge streams of beverage not only angularly strike against the most elevated part of the inside surface of the side wall of the can but also the flow distance between the end of each nozzle passageway and the side wall of the can is minimized whereby beverage foaming is kept within tolerable limits.
Particularly in respect to cans made of aluminum, the beverage industry has continually sought ways to reduce the amount of aluminum used to fabricate each can. Side walls have been materially reduced in thickness. Also, from time to time the beverage industry has reduced the size of the lid placed upon an aluminum can to further reduce the amount of aluminum used. Reduction in lid size correspondingly reduces the pre-lid top opening in the can.
The latest change being implemented by the beverage industry is a reduction in aluminum lid size to a size #204, for the first time. Further lid size reductions can be anticipated. With such reductions in aluminum lid sizes and corresponding reduction in the size of openings at the top of aluminum cans comes obsolescence of certain parts of the beverage-filling machinery. Specifically, a size #204 can will not accept the distal discharge nozzle structure of existing fill valves due to dimension interference. Thus, the progressive movement by the beverage industry to smaller and smaller lids and, therefore, smaller and smaller openings at the top of aluminum cans leaves existing fill valves nonaccommodating. The normal solution in the past to this problem has been to replace the old dimensionally nonaccommodating fill valves with entirely new fill valves which fit, on a close tolerance basis, through the smaller top opening of the cans. This approach, however, on both a plant and an industry-wide basis, is very costly, especially when considering that each new lid size typically has required total replacement of all existing fill valves.
The present invention constitutes a far less expensive and more long term solution to the problem, unaccompanied by any material disadvantages.